December 11, 2011THE DEFENCE Ministry and National Guard will take on the duties assigned to them during Cyprus’ EU Presidency six months earlier than other ministries.Defence Minister Demetris Eliades said yesterday the ministry and NG were ready to take on duties and responsibilities arising from the Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council from January 1, 2012, as opposed to July 1, 2012, when Cyprus is due to take over.The reason being, he explained, is that Denmark will take over the EU Presidency from Poland on January 1, but Denmark does not participate in the pillar of European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).

As a result, Cyprus will undertake many issues and actions, which are included in that pillar, since it is the next in line to take over the six-month Presidency.

Eliades said Cyprus will be dealing with the mechanism for financing military operations, called the Athena Mechanism, as well as chairing the Working Group on Target Settings, which studies the development of the military capabilities of the EU.

humanist wrote:The Turks must be fuming, how dare the "half Country" be given such great responsibility. Well guess what Cyprus may be under Turkish occupation but its a whole Country and all of it is an EU member .

And in which field? Defence :

And CY becoming the first ever country to have the presidency (even of just one field) for two terms in a row?

And starting it's presidency not on the 1st of July but 1st January?

I fear the three stooges will be having a nervous brake down

P.S. We should braze ourselves for a lot of provocations the coming days and weeks I think.